'India has suffered serious deficit of good governance under UPA rule': BJP

New Delhi, Jan. 19 (ANI): Launching a frontal attack on Congress President Sonia Gandhi, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Saturday said India has suffered a serious deficit of good governance under the rule of United Progressive Alliance (UPA) Government.

"Where there is good governance, there is delivery, there is growth. And India suffers a serious deficit of good governance, we are seeing the consequences of that. Rampant corruption, shielding corrupt with impunity, gross inaction and policy paralysis, this is the hallmark of UPA Government," said BJP chief spokesperson Ravi Shankar Prasad.

Prasad said there is less of introspection and more of worry in the Congress Party's 'Chintan Shivir' in Jaipur.

Taking on the Congress President over her concerns about creating more jobs for youths at the 'Chintan Shivir' in Jaipur, Prasad said employment has registered a big decline during the UPA Government.

"Why this sudden concerns for the aspirations of the youth, middle class? Their concerns, aspirations, worry is sought to be taken note of formally and recognised by Soniaji after a gap of nine years," said Prasad.

"The first and foremost concern of a young educated aspirational Indian is to have a meaningful, gainful employment. Soniaji kindly tell the nation how many young people have been given meaningful employment in the last nine years. Employment has registered a big decline during the UPA Government. Soniaji kindly assure the nation as to how given the reality of India today you will be able to respond positively to the concerns, aspirations of young India," he added.

Prasad further said the country's GDP growth has come down under the nine years of UPA rule.

"The country's GDP is 5.3 percent, it was promised that it would be nine percent. Industrial production is down, manufacturing is down, import is down, export is down, investment is down and even domestic investment is not being invested in India," said Prasad.

"When the growth rate is stagnant at 5. 3 percent, then why is it so that the growth rate of Gujarat, Bihar, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh is ten percent plus," he added, while lauding the achievements of the BJP-led state governments.

Expressing confidence that the NDA would come to power at the Centre in 2014, Prasad said: "Sonia Gandhiji, Rahul Gandhi, Manmohan Singh, there is no vacancy in 2014."

"The Congress-led UPA Government under Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singhji's leadership has introduced truly revolutionary programmes and enacted historic legislations flowing from our manifestos. Economic growth over the past decade has been impressive and this has had a major impact on reducing poverty. But our fight against poverty is a continuous one," she told the Congressmen at the party's 'Chintan Shivir' in Jaipur. (ANI)